The Silenced Warner (Rewritten)
by MKartracingqueen
Summary: Sometimes, you don't appreciate your gifts enough until they're taken away. Yakko learns this the hard way when he wakes up one morning rendered completely mute. If he doesn't find a way to recover soon, he might lose more than just his voice.
1. Setting the Scene

**A/N: Hello! So, for a couple of years, I fell out of this fandom. But now that I've made my return, I reminisced on my times as a fanfiction writer. I'm generally proud of my stories...except my rather average/"meh" first try. I wanted to do this idea justice, so I looked at where I went wrong and rewrote "The Silenced Warner". I hope you will enjoy this updated version of my story.**

* * *

It was a beautiful night outside. The stars were shining, and a full moon glowed brightly on the Warner Bros. movie lot. A figure wearing a black cloak walked by the water tower, finding the atmosphere rather welcoming. They wandered around, sneaking through the shadows as if looking for something...or someone. They stopped in front of a large building, barely able to make out the grey structure. It was bland on the outside, but golden lights sparkling through the windows indicated that the inside was anything but. The figure looked at a sign placed in front of the glass doors.

_Animaniacs: Live Performance_

Plastered behind the title was a picture of the Warner siblings. For two weekends only, they performed some of their songs live for all their fans. Of course, knowing their spontaneous behavior, they insisted not to schedule which songs to perform but have the fans decide spur the moment. Looking at the date, the cloaked figure could tell it was their last performance. They snuck inside, barely able to become lost in a sea of faces immediately upon entering. As soon as the figure entered the concert room, they could hear the Warners' voices singing in unison.

_But there is only one of you, that makes you special  
__Yes there is nothing else exactly like you are  
__As you're unique and you're terrific and you're kinda built specific 'cause there's no one else the same as the person you became_

The cloaked figure resented that statement. They left the room, feeling bothered as the Warners finished their song. Meanwhile, the audience clapped and cheered as the toons took their bows. Although the figure left before the song ended, they could still hear the screaming, affectionate mess of voices the Warners called their audience. Judging by the intensity, that must have meant the concert was over. The Warners would return home soon, and the figure saw it as a good sign.

* * *

After meeting up with some adoring fans, taking pictures, and signing merchandise brought to them, the Warners skipped back to their tower.

"Man, what an audience!" said Yakko. "That must've been our best show yet!"

"Yeah!" said Dot. "I don't think we've had a crowd that big before..."

They climbed up the water tower, swinging from pipe to pipe. They eventually reached the top, Yakko opening the door for his siblings.

"Well, I dunno about you two, but I'm all pooped out."

"What?" said Wakko. "But I didn't see you use the potty yet!"

Yakko laughed while Dot rolled her eyes, clearly not a big fan of immature toilet humor. As soon as they entered their home, they got ready for bed. Yakko wore his purple onesie, Dot put on her pink nightgown and haircurlers for her ears, and Wakko wore his blue onesie. They entered the bedroom, getting in their bunk beds. Dot slept on the top, Wakko in the middle, and Yakko on the bottom.

"Looks like we're turning in," said Yakko.

"To what?" said Wakko.

"We'll find out tomorrow," said Dot. "Night, guys."

"Night, Dot."

They turned off the lights and fell asleep. As soon as they entered a deep enough sleep, the cloaked figure from earlier snuck into the tower. White gloves stuck out from the sleeves and carried a strange machine resembling a vacuum. The figure put the tube on Yakko's mouth and turned on the machine, which barely made any noise. With a few tugs, the tube rumbled and vibrated. The figure turned off the machine and looked inside to see what he fished out of the sleeping toon's body. They nodded contently, sinisterly smiling from under the cloak and fleeing into the night.


	2. Speaking Impaired

Yakko woke up the next morning feeling happy as usual. Getting out of bed, he changed into his slacks, then went to the bathroom to brush his messy fur. He brushed a couple times on the ears, then on his chest. So far, his day was starting out normally. After making breakfast for his siblings, the three of them would leave the tower, outsmart Ralph, and partake in whatever punny shenanigans the scenery around them had to offer. That is, if nothing out of the ordinary interrupted them. But they were ones to talk; almost nothing about them was ordinary. He headed to the kitchen, putting some waffles in the toaster. Two for himself, three for Dot, and seven for Wakko. As soon as the toaster went off with a ding, the smell of the waffles was alluring enough to wake up Wakko and Dot. They prepared themselves the same way as Yakko, then entered the main room right as he set out the plates for them.

"Good morning, brother sib!" said Wakko.

**_Morning, Wakko!_**

Yakko gasped, his ears slightly perking up in shock. For some reason, when he tried to greet his brother back, he only _mouthed_ the words...He turned around and looked down at the sink, making sure his siblings would not suspect anything was wrong.

**_Did that really just happen?_**

He clamped his hand over his mouth, more alarmed than before. It was as if the words he wanted to say refused to come out of him. Not even the slightest whisper escaped when he tried to talk. Although Wakko was too busy devouring his waffles to pay attention, Dot took notice of her brother's frightened state.

"...you okay, Yakko?"

He turned his body towards her and opened his mouth, wanting to say something back. But knowing his predicament, he closed it and put his fingers by his chin, trying to think of another way to tell his siblings what happened to him. Suddenly, a light bulb appeared over his head as he smiled and snapped his fingers, getting an idea. He waved his hands in a circular motion as if to tell them to gather around. Wakko looked up from his plate and got excited when he saw Yakko's movements.

"Ooh, charades!"

Wakko and Dot moved from their positions and stood in front of Yakko. He opened his mouth and pointed at it.

"You're hungry?" Wakko asked.

Yakko shook his head. He clenched his fist and put it by his lips, then opened it alongside his mouth.

"Ya wanna sing?" Dot guessed.

Yakko then slid his finger across his neck. Wakko gasped as Dot made another guess.

"You chopped somebody's head off?"

Yakko shook his head and waved his hands.

"Hmm," said Wakko, "I can't tell what you're trying to say..."

"It's on the tip of my tongue," said Dot, "I know it! But the clues aren't adding up. That's probably because you suck at charades."

Yakko rolled his eyes. Giving up, he took the easy, less fun way out and grabbed a pencil and a piece of paper. He wrote down "I lost my voice!", then showed it to Wakko and Dot.

"Ohhhhhhhh," they said in unison.

"That makes a lot more sense," said Wakko.

"Is this true?" said Dot. "Did ya _really _go mute?"

**_Yeah, listen! I'm tryin' to talk, but nothing's comin' out!_**

"Oh, the censors are gonna be so happy!"

Wakko rolled on the floor, laughing his butt off.

"Out of everyone it just had to be you, didn't it?"

Yakko was not amused by his siblings expressing joy at his discovery. He put his hands on his hips and tapped his foot to show his annoyance. Dot crossed her arms and scoffed at him.

"Oh, great. We have to deal with a Tinkerbell over here. Or an Ariel, both work."

"What are we gonna do about it?" said Wakko.

Yakko put his hands by his mouth and pantomimed what looked like him vomiting; he rolled his hands downwards and bent forward. Then he reversed the motion and shoved the spilled air back inside him.

"I guess we got no choice," said Dot, seemingly agreeing with him. "Getting your voice back might be the only way to progress the plot."

"That doesn't sound too bad," said Wakko. "But how are we gonna do that?"

"We could ask Dr. Scratchansniff," said Dot. "He'd know what to do. But I don't think we'll be able to get near him after what we did last week."

The three of them giggled, Yakko dismayed at the fact that even his giggles were rendered silent. It was only a few minutes after he found himself unable to talk and he already hated it.

"Good idea!" said Wakko. "But let's go after we eat breakfast. I'm still hungry."

He patted his stomach as Yakko nodded in agreement.

"Right," said Dot, giving him one of her waffles.

* * *

As soon as they finished eating their breakfast, they sped off to Dr. Scratchansniff's office.

"Ya know he's probably not gonna let us in," said Dot.

"It's still worth a shot," said Wakko.

Yakko knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the doctor himself opened it, but quickly showed a look of annoyance when he realized it was just the Warners.

"Vat do jou kidses vant?" he asked. "Jou don't have an appointment today."

"We know," said Dot, "but it's kinda urgent."

"Yakko's gone mute!" said Wakko.

Scratchansniff seemed genuinely surprised.

"Vat, veally? No jokes zis time?"

Yakko nodded.

**_Do ya REALLY think I joke about this kinda stuff?_**

"See?" said Wakko. "Not a sound!"

"Vell, how did zat happen?"

"We have no clue," said Dot.

"Come in, I'll zee vat I can do."

Yakko gratefully smiled at Scratchansniff as he let them in.

"Tell me, ven did zis shtart?"

"This morning," said Dot.

Yakko pretended to fall asleep, then yawn awake. After this, he put his finger on his wrist, then slid it to the other side in a semi-circular motion.

"Vat's he trying to say?" Scratchansniff whispered to Wakko and Dot.

"He woke up," Dot translated, "probably a half hour before us."

When not having to play charades, Wakko and Dot surprisingly understood what Yakko was trying to say perfectly. They continued to translate Yakko's strange pantomiming as he told Scratchansniff about the events leading up to the discovery of his problem. Yakko pointed at his pants, then brushed some of his chest fur.

"He changed, got ready, the usual kinda stuff. We woke up when we smelled the waffles he made for us."

Yakko pointed at Wakko and mouthed the phrase "good morning". He did it again while pointing to himself, then drew an x-mark in the air.

"I told him good morning," said Wakko, "but when he tried to say it back it didn't come out."

"Zat is very interesting," said Scratchansniff. "Did anyzing happen last night zat could have made jou lose jour voice?"

Yakko shrugged.

"We had that concert," said Dot, "but he was fine after that."

"No hoarseness or anyzing?"

"Nope."

"He didn't even make horse noises!" Wakko exclaimed.

Yakko got on his knees and appeared to beg, tugging on Scratchansniff's smock.

"Ya gotta help him, doc!" said Dot, voicing Yakko's exact thoughts.

"Vell, since zis is a very recent dizcovery, I am not sure vat I can do vor now. Yakko, I vould suggest going on vocal rest vor a little vhile, but try to shpeak only vonce every morning to check jour progress. Come back in a veek; if jour voice does not get better at all, I vill look vor another way to help you."

Yakko stood back up and put his hands together. He turned them so his fingers would be facing the doctor; it was his way of thanking him.

"Thanks, Scratchansniff!" said Wakko.

As they left, however, Yakko started to worry. What if he remained completely mute for the rest of the week? What if Scratchansniff was unable to help him? What if he could never talk again for all eternity? Wakko could tell he was worrying and patted his back, comforting him.

"Don't worry, Yakko. I'm sure we'll get your voice back!"

Yakko smiled and nodded.

"Maybe ya left it back home?" said Dot.

"Ya!" said Wakko. "Let's go look for your voice!"

They ran back to the water tower.

"I'm sure it's here somewhere," said Wakko, checking the kitchen.

Yakko disapprovingly crossed his arms and shook his head, knowing what his brother was doing. Finding his voice was more important than getting a snack!

"But what does a voice look like?" Dot asked.

They stopped what they were doing as Yakko started to sketch. As soon as he finished, he showed them what he drew. It was a picture of a music box, captioned "This is a voicebox". The oval cylinder was roughly colored gold and seemed to have a few holes in it as if to add some details. Yakko added an extra note saying "The handle turns by itself when I'm talking".

"Huh," said Dot, "when they called it a voicebox I didn't think they meant an _actual_ box!"

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

Yakko pointed his finger as if to tell them to keep looking. Yakko checked the rooftop and the exterior of the tower, Wakko continued looking through the kitchen and the living room, and Dot inspected the bathroom and the bedroom. They checked every nook and cranny three times, then regrouped back in the living room.

"Well," said Dot, "I found nothin'."

"Same," said Wakko. "Any luck, Yakko?"

Yakko sadly shook his head.

"Then I guess Scratchy's right," said Dot, "maybe ya just wore out your voice."

Yakko highly doubted it. It never happened to him before, so why would it happen now after all these years?

"Well," said Wakko, "I'm headin' out."

"Ya comin', Yakko?" Dot asked.

Yakko shook his head and flicked his wrist in a shooing motion, as if to tell them to go on without him. He instead sat by his computer and cracked his knuckles.

"Suit yourself," she shrugged.

Wakko and Dot left the tower. Yakko sighed and started typing, looking for tips on how to cure his voice.


	3. Not Quite Yakko

Despite Yakko's unfortunate situation, the rest of the day was not very eventful. While Yakko began his search for remedies to help restore his voice, Wakko and Dot were unable to find many opportunities for misadventure in his absence. All three of them hoped the next day would have more in store. That morning, Yakko woke up with a start. As he went to the bathroom, he looked in the mirror as he checked his voice.

**_Well? Am I any better?_**

Yakko grimaced. He knew it was very likely he still couldn't speak, but he also hoped there would be at least _some_ improvement. It seemed if he wanted his voice to get better the normal way, he would have to wait a few more days before it showed any signs of coming back. At least the smell of pancakes cheered him up a little; it was Dot's turn to make breakfast. He went to the kitchen to find Wakko already awake as well.

"Oh good," said Dot, "you're up. Wakko almost ate all your pancakes."

Yakko silently chuckled as they sat by the table and started eating. He put butter on his stack of three, Dot poured syrup on her two pancakes, and Wakko gobbled down his ten; this prompted a huge belch from him.

"Diiiiiiisgusting!" Dot exclaimed.

Yakko appeared to laugh, briefly pounding his fists on the table.

"So," said Wakko, "nothin' yet?"

Yakko shook his head.

"What did ya expect?" said Dot. "It's not like you're just gonna get better overnight, ya know."

Yakko crossed his arms. He felt worse than when Wakko got laryngitis; at least Wakko could still talk! Even if it was just barely.

"Moping won't do you any good," said Wakko.

Yakko shrugged. His brother had a point.

"Come on!" Wakko continued, opening the door for Yakko and Dot.

Yakko perked up again and jumped out of the tower, making various somersaults before hitting the ground.

"What a show-off," Dot scoffed, watching her brother as he took a bow.

She jumped next, doing many flips before nailing her landing. Wakko only chuckled, diving for his turn and turning into a splat of ink as he made contact with the concrete. After a few seconds, he popped back into his regular shape.

"Okay," said Dot, "let's go."

They skipped across the lot, only to stop in their tracks as Ralph ran at them holding a net.

"Dahhhh come back here!"

The Warners' bodies jumped in alarm, comedically making horn noises.

"Yipe!" Wakko and Dot shouted.

They picked up the pace and ran away. Looking at the spaces between buildings, Yakko had an idea. He tapped Wakko and Dot's shoulders and moved his arm, as if to tell them to follow his lead. They did as he asked; before they knew it, the Warners were bouncing off the walls between two set buildings and reached the roof. They looked at Ralph down below and mocked him, Wakko blowing a raspberry while Yakko repeatedly slapped his butt.

"Ya can't catch us if we have the higher ground!" said Dot.

"Daaaah darnit!"

"See ya later!" said Wakko.

Yakko waved and headed off with Wakko and Dot. As they jumped to the next rooftop, Yakko stopped and pointed.

"Hey, you're right!" said Wakko. "We've got a pretty good view from here."

"We should go higher, then we can see the whole lot."

The moment they turned around, they realized Yakko was gone.

"Wait," said Wakko, "where'd he go?"

He pulled out some binoculars so he and Dot could look for him. Dot gasped as she caught sight of Yakko climbing corporate's tower.

"There! Come on!"

They ran after their brother and started climbing behind him. As soon as they reached the top, Dot scolded Yakko.

"Next time, tell us when you're gonna go somewhere!"

Yakko shot her an unhappy look.

"Oh wait, that's right, ya _can't_."

She smugly smiled at him, irritating him even more.

"Wow," said Wakko, trying to lighten the mood, "look at _this _view!"

Dot was right about going higher, for they could see the whole lot. It was surprisingly breathtaking.

"They all look like ants from up here..." said Dot.

After a few seconds, Yakko snapped his fingers to get his siblings' attention, then pointed down to the side of the building.

"Yeah," said Dot, "I've had enough too."

They ricochetted off the walls between the tower and the building on its left, then found themselves in an alleyway.

"Considering the setting," said Dot, "I think I know who's bound to pop up soon."

Rita and Runt popped their heads out of some empty trashcans.

"Oh," said Rita, "it's just you three."

"Called it!" said Dot.

"Hi Rita!" said Wakko. "Hi Runt!"

Yakko only waved. Rita looked at him funny.

"You okay, kid? You didn't say anything."

"Something's definitely off about Yakko," said Runt. "Definitely, definitely. _Definitely_ something's off."

"Well ya see," said Wakko, "our brother can't talk. We dunno what's wrong with him yet."

"Huh, weird. Does he have lumps in his throat?"

Yakko put two fingers on his neck and rubbed it. He shook his head.

"What about a coated tongue?"

Yakko stuck his tongue out; it was wearing a tuxedo.

"Nope," said Dot. "Just tuxed."

"...And you can't talk at all?"

Yakko opened his mouth, but Dot put her hand over it to stop him from trying to use his voice.

"Ah ah ah! Remember what Scratchy said!"

Yakko pushed her arm down, then turned his head away and frowned.

"Anyway," said Wakko, "nothing's coming outta him anymore."

"Yup," said Runt. "That's weird, definitely definitely weird."

"Well," said Rita. "I dunno how to help ya, but I hope ya get better."

Yakko made finger guns at her. Then, the five of them heard a whistle.

"That's our cue," said Dot. "See ya!"

The Warners ran away as Ralph continued to chase them. This time, Dot came up with an idea on how to avoid him.

"I got this one!"

She jumped off the wall and slid under Ralph's legs. Distracted, it gave Wakko a good chance to pull Ralph's hat over his face. Yakko then pulled the net over him.

"That's how it's done," Dot bragged.

The Warners gave each other high fives and cheered as Ralph managed to pull off his hat. He might not be the smartest man in the lot, but he was still able to register that Yakko's voice could not be heard.

"Hey, wait a minute! Dahhhhh why isn't he sayin' somethin'?"

"He can't," said Wakko. "He lost his voice."

Ralph looked at them confused, then spoke up.

"I don't get the joke."

"We're not joking this time," said Dot. "He actually _can't _talk."

"Oh."

"Well, buh-bye!"

They ran off, leaving the security guard in the dust.


	4. Remedy Montage

The third day came a lot quicker than the Warners would have thought. Yakko woke up and looked around; he grew suspicious at the fact that his siblings were up earlier than him for the second day in a row. He scratched his head.

_**Where'd they run off to?**_

He cringed. His voice still showed no signs of improvement. As he got up, a note taped to the door caught his attention. He took it and read it.

_If we're gonna help ya get your voice back in shape, we're gonna do it our way.  
-Dot_

Yakko immediately knew whatever they had in store for him would be...interesting to say the least. As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by thousands of plastic red cups, all filled with water. His face quickly became devoid of any emotion as he heard Wakko and Dot's muffled laughter from down the hall, knowing he became the victim of their prank. Keeping his straight face, Yakko grabbed the first red cup and gulped it down. Once he finished, he crushed it in his hand and tossed it into his room. Then he gulped down all the water from the second red cup. The process continued for a while; he eventually managed to make it to the kitchen in ten minutes, greeted by Wakko and Dot snickering.

"Glad it didn't take ya too long," said Dot.

"How's your voice?" said Wakko.

Yakko took his index finger and slid it across his neck, tilting his head for a greater effect. But before Wakko and Dot could respond, Yakko suddenly crossed his legs and moved his hands over his crotch. He rushed to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

"Now he knows what my potty emergencies feel like," said Wakko, showing a slight pang of sympathy through his amusement.

* * *

The next day, th Warners took slightly more drastic measures, heading off to the laboratory to find Pinky and the Brain. Yakko knocked on the door to the mice's room.

"Come in," Brain droned.

They opened the door and found their co-stars out of their cage; they must have wanted a head start. Yakko waved at them as Dot talked for him.

"Hey guys!" said Dot. "We need a favor."

"Wait!" Pinky shouted. "Narf- who's that?"

He pointed at Yakko, who looked at him confused.

"What," said Wakko, "ya mean Yakko?"

"Nope, poit. I mean the tall one behind you."

"...that's Yakko," said Dot. "Anyway, he lost his voice. Ya got a machine that can help us?"

"As a matter of fact," said Brain, "I do. Come with me."

They followed him to a supply closet filled with machines; some used, some new. He climbed onto a small, simplistic oval-shaped machine with a nozzle attached to it.

"This is a humidifier. Put the nozzle in Yakko's mouth and have him inhale mist. It should soothe his throat."

"Thanks, Brain!" said Wakko.

"Now leave me be, Pinky and I have very important things to do."

"Gee, Brain!" said Pinky. "What are we supposed to be doing today? Zort!"

"The same thing we do every day, Pinky: try to take over the world!"

"Good luck with that," Dot semi-sarcastically remarked.

She pulled out a plot hole and jumped through with her brothers, taking the humidifier with them. Before they knew it, they were back at the tower.

"Okay," said Wakko, "let's see if this works."

Yakko rubbed his hands together, then took the nozzle and put it in his mouth. He took deep yet fast breaths, thinking it would quicken his healing process. Unfortunately, it only made his head inflate. By the time it was five times his size, he started to float away, but held onto the nozzle to keep himself from going too high.

"Man," said Dot, "you're a real _airhead_, Yakko."

Wakko played a rimshot on his drums to accompany Dot's pun. Meanwhile, Yakko rolled his eyes and semi-frantically shook his free arm.

"Fine," said Dot, "we'll getcha down. Wakko?"

"On it!"

He took a safety pin from his Gag Bag and stabbed through Yakko's cheek. Letting go of the nozzle, Yakko wildly flew around the room as his head deflated and shrunk back to normal. He hit the ground with a loud thud as Dot handed him a bandaid. Yakko pressed it against the hole in his cheek and gave her a thumbs-up.

"You're welcome."

* * *

As the days passed, Yakko progressively became less chipper and energetic without his voice. The mood change was not too drastic, but it was enough to be considered noticeable. Dot did not feel too bothered by it, but Wakko felt a little uncomfortable at Yakko's behavior and became more determined to help him. Getting creative in helping Yakko recover, Wakko pulled a jar of honey out of the fridge and handed it to him.

"Try chugging this down!"

Yakko stared at Wakko skeptically, raising one eyebrow. He wasn't as good at scarfing down food as his brother.

"It's still worth a shot," Wakko shrugged. "Come on, I'll show ya!"

Wakko pulled out a bottle of maple syrup, seeing the jar of honey Yakko held was the only one left.

"It's gonna go down slow, but try to swallow as much as you can."

Wakko popped the lid off the bottle and poured it into his mouth. Meanwhile, Yakko took the lid off his own jar and did the same. Just as they started, Dot walked into the kitchen; an annoyed look appeared on her face as she put one hand on her hip and slapped her leg with the other.

"What are you two doing?"

Wakko tried to explain, but he could only make muffled noises as he tried to form his words. Dot merely shook her head.

"Drowning him in honey isn't gonna help!"

She looked through the silverware drawer and pulled out a large spoon, mischievously smiling.

"Use this instead."

Yakko put his jar down, but made some struggling motions, grabbing at his neck and gagging.

"Oh great," said Dot, "now ya got a whole wad stuck in your throat. Wakko, it's your call."

As Wakko grabbed a normal-sized spoon and tried to help Yakko get the lump of honey unstuck, Dot went to the living room and turned on the television. She was immediately greeted by a news report discussing Yakko's misfortune. A woman with fluffy blonde hair and a very tight magenta jumpsuit stood in front of the water tower.

"This just in: Yakko Warner of 'Animaniacs' fame has gone mute! For those of you who don't know, Yakko was famously known for his quick witty remarks and impressive singing talent. We've discussed this loss with some of his co-workers and to most of them, it's a very big deal!"

The camera panned to footage of Slappy and Skippy standing in front of their tree.

"Haven't seen those kids in a while," said Slappy, "but I'm just surprised it didn't happen sooner."

"I hope he gets better soon!" Skippy shouted.

Next was Minerva Mink, who sat by the pond.

"Well, just the other day he and his brother hit on me! I didn't even know it was him until you told me. Ask anyone else, they'll tell you the same thing."

Then came Brain.

"When they asked for my assistance, I wasn't shocked that he came down with a case of aphonia, but it was surely intriguing."

Finally, Plotz was asked to give his statement.

"I never thought it was possible! I've been watching him from my office once I heard the news; I don't know how many people still recognize him without his voice, but he better get it back before he completely loses his marketability."

Yakko took the remote and turned off the TV, then gloomily slumped on the couch. Wakko patted his back.

"It's okay, Yakko. I don't think you're doing too bad without your voice."

"I'll admit," said Dot, "it's kinda weird. But not as weird as the fact that you're _still _not getting any better."

* * *

Before the Warners knew it, time was running out. Knowing they were beginning to run out of options, Wakko pulled out the humidifier again.

"Let's try this again," he told Yakko.

"But this time," said Dot, "don't rush it. But I don't have to tell ya that; you should know better after yesterday's honey incident."

Yakko nodded and took the nozzle, putting it in his mouth. He took slower, calmer breaths, but it only led to another visual gag. This time, instead of his head, his body inflated.

"Whoa Yakko wait-" Dot stammered.

Wakko started laughing. Yakko tried to hold onto the nozzle, but his hands slipped. He flailed his arms and legs as he floated all the way to the ceiling. Wakko managed to calm down from his fit of laughter shortly after as Dot pulled out a bow and arrow.

"Hold still!" she shouted.

She pulled back her arrow and shot it right at Yakko. After another wild deflation sequence, he was completely flattened with a large gap in his hip. He tried to lift his head, but it fell limp within a few seconds. Dot approached him and pulled out a needle and some string.

"Don't worry, I'll patch ya up in no time."

After a few minutes, she stitched Yakko back together and pulled him onto his feet. He patted her back to thank her.

"Anytime, bro."

Yakko wobbled around, barely able to keep his balance after the incident. He stumbled off to his room, feeling lightheaded.

"We'll have better luck tomorrow," Wakko sighed.


	5. Source of the Problem

Finally, a full week passed. As Yakko woke up that morning, he put his hand on his chest. He hoped for nothing more than his living nightmare to end. He walked to the bathroom and looked at his reflection.

_**I better be better 'cause I don't think I can handle another day like this.**_

He gawked in disbelief. How was it possible that after all those days, he was still completely mute?

_**Come on, don't do this to me!**_

His face drooped. To say that he was upset would be an understatement. He stormed off to the living room, his stomping footsteps alerting Wakko and Dot of his presence. As they turned their heads to look at Yakko, they saw him kick the wall, grab his ears, and silently scream in frustration.

_**Why me, why me?!**_

"It's sad," Dot remarked, "but kinda funny to watch."

Wakko approached his brother and patted his back.

"Aw, it's okay, Yakko. It's been a week since we saw Dr. Scratchansniff; he'll find out what's wrong with you after breakfast!"

Yakko smiled a little and patted Wakko's head, making him chuckle.

"Anyway," said Dot, "I made eggs. You'll need some sunny side up if you don't wanna go around mopin' all day."

Yakko clapped his hands twice as he sat by the table and ate his breakfast. As soon as he finished, he and his siblings headed off to the doctor's office once more. Yakko rhythmically knocked as Scratchansniff answered, showing less annoyance than the last time they visited him. He actually seemed rather pleasant.

"Oh, hello Varners! Yakko, is jour voice any better?"

Yakko shook his head.

"Veally? No improvement vhat so evar?"

_**You tell me, doc.**_

"Isn't it weird?" said Wakko.

"Hmmm, zhat is very shtrange indeed..."

The Warners walked inside Scratchansniff's office and sat on the couch.

"So," said Dot, "what's the plan?"

"I zink ve should try using an x-ray. Zat vay ve'll see vat is happening inside of him. Does zat sound good, Yakko?"

Yakko nodded.

"Alvight."

He picked up his phone and made a call.

"Miss Nurse, bring me an x-ray shcannar, ja?"

Within seconds, the busty blonde came in holding a screen. Yakko and Wakko panted like puppies.

"Hellooooooo nurse!" Wakko shouted.

Yakko mouthed the same phrase as Hello Nurse ignored their flirtatious instincts.

"Hold this for me, please."

She handed the toon the screen. Yakko happily obliged as she pushed a few buttons on the side of it. The screen displayed some gray static.

"Ooh!" Wakko and Dot exclaimed.

The toons and the humans stood in front of Yakko as the static disappeared, showing his x-ray.

"He's so bouncy inside," said Dot.

"Okay," said Scratchansniff, directing everyone's attention to Yakko's neck, "let's zee vhat is the matter vith Yakko's..."

His voice trailed off. Wakko and Dot's smiles also started to fade, making Yakko nervous. He rapidly shifted his eyes, glancing at the people around him as if to ask what was happening. Finally, Dot spoke up.

"Yakko?"

He stared at his sister, giving her his full attention. She pulled out a mirror so he could see his x-ray, and his eyes bulged in horror as she broke the news to him.

"Your voicebox is completely gone."

Yakko almost dropped his screen in shock. He was in absolute disbelief, not knowing how such a thing could have happened to him. He fell on his knees as a literal waterfall of tears poured from his eyes.

"I take it back," said Dot, "this isn't funny anymore."

A week of silence was torture for Yakko, but now that he knew his voicebox somehow disappeared, he could not take it anymore. It was truly a sad sight to see; the toon known for his razor sharp tongue and possessing the voice of an angel was reduced to a mute punchline of a cruel joke.

"Oh," said Scratchansniff, "poor Yakko..."

Wakko patted Yakko's back to calm down his crying.

"Shhh, it's okay, Yakko. It's not over yet."

Yakko sniffed and wiped his eyes, stopping the waterfall of tears in its tracks. What was Wakko planning?

"Maybe I have something in my Gag Bag that can help us find where your voice went."

"Good idea, Vakko!" said Scratchansniff.

Wakko started digging through his bag and found a helpful tool within the span of a few seconds.

"Ha, found it!"

He pulled out a gray remote control with an antenna topped with a red ball. On it was a navigation screen not too unlike one that would be seen in a car. Yakko and Dot crowded around Wakko as the remote beeped and showed a blinking green dot.

"See that, Yakko?" said Dot. "I think it's your voice!"

Yakko immediately perked up. He snatched the remote from Wakko and ran out the door, too excited to contain himself.

"Hey," said Wakko, running after his brother, "wait for us!"

"Well," said Dot, "I guess that's my cue. Thanks, Scratchy!"

"Good luck!" said Hello Nurse, waving with Scratchansniff as Dot ran off to join her brothers.

* * *

As they kept running, the hunt for Yakko's voice led the Warners to the highest floor of corporate's building. The beeping noises from the remote became quicker and quicker with every step they took.

"Why would Yakko's voice be around here?" Wakko asked.

"I guess we'll just have to find out," said Dot. "At least we're getting close."

Yakko, too excited to pay attention to what was in front of him, suddenly slammed right into a cloaked being. Yakko was knocked off his feet as the cloak fell off the figure, revealing a toon who looked similar to Yakko in shape. However, one could easily tell the difference due to his elongated tail, yellow face, blue bowtie and eyes, and a small yellow dot on his chest.

"Hey," said Wakko, "can ya help us? Our brother lost his-"

"Uh, Wakko?" Dot interrupted. "I think ya need to see this."

She directed his attention at the remote, which Yakko had pointed right at the stranger. The beeping noise became its quickest. The yellow-faced toon briefly grimaced before his face twisted into a sinister smile.

"Well, I guess you found me out."


	6. Stopping the Silence

Yakko's jaw dropped at the sound of his voice coming out of the toon's mouth.

"What the-!" Wakko gasped.

"Who are you and what are you doing with Yakko's voice?!" Dot shouted.

"Don't ya get it? I AM Yakko. Or should I say, who Yakko was supposed to be."

Yakko stared at him skeptically.

"My name's Yakky. Before you and your siblings came along, it was me, my brothers, and my sister. They told us we were gonna be the stars of our own show...but we were scrapped before it ever happened."

He paced side to side as he talked, appearing surprisingly menacing for a toon who was meant to be zany.

"When toons like me are scrapped, we end up in what I call ink purgatory; if you spend too much time in there, you'll forget who you are and it'll swallow you whole. I'm one of the lucky few who escaped, but my siblings are still trapped. Now, I know what you're thinking, how does Yakko's voice tie into all this? Well, if I'm gonna stay up here, I have to take the place of the one who replaced me. And what is Yakko most well known for? His voice. Take it away and soon no one will recognize him without it."

Yakky stopped pacing and looked Yakko in the eye.

"The more I harness your voice, the more they'll think I'm you. I just came back from messing around with the CEO; I've already replaced that old coot's memories of you. It won't be long before you're forgotten enough to take my place in the abyss; then I'll free my siblings one by one as I take away what made YOURS so memorable."

Yakko could not remember the last time he felt so scared and furious at once. He pulled out his mallet and tried to slam it right on Yakky's head. Yakky jumped back, having expected Yakko's attack. He then jumped out the window right next to him, shattering the glass and running away.

"So long, suckers!"

"Not so fast, Yakky!" Dot shouted.

Wakko took his Gag Bag and pulled out a shiny red convertible car. Yakko immediately jumped in the driver's seat and honked the horn twice as if to tell Wakko and Dot to get in. Dot took shotgun and Wakko sat in the back as Yakko slammed his foot on the gas pedal, sending the car flying out the window. It jumped a couple times as it made impact with the ground, but its acceleration refused to falter.

"We can't let him get away!" said Wakko, pulling more gags out of his bag.

If there was one advantage the Warners had over Yakky, they were naturally zanier. As the chase led them back into the Warner lot, Wakko threw some pies at Yakky, trying to slow him down. The first three landed by Yakky's feet, and the fourth landed on the back of his head.

"Ack!"

"Nice aim!" said Dot.

Yakky shuddered and tried to wipe it off as he took a sharp turn by one of the sets. The Warners were unable to follow him and turn in time, much to Yakko's dismay. But thinking fast, he suddenly drove into one of the set buildings, crashing right through the wall. As the Warners sped past a set reminiscent of an action movie taking place in an obscure city, they were greeted by five fighting actors, three male and two female in rather tight clothing, screaming and jumping out of their way. Explosions went off behind the Warners as the actors dodged.

"Michael Bay really loves his explosions, huh?" said Dot.

As Yakko drifted the car, turning it as it crashed through the wall and back outside, a gigantic explosion went off behind them. Yakky, who was right in front of them, flipped over the car.

"Get him!" Wakko shouted, chasing after him with Dot.

As Yakky landed, Wakko threw Dot at him. She landed right on top of Yakky and tackled him to the ground.

"I got him!"

She lifted him up as Wakko took out his mallet and slammed it into Yakky's stomach, forcing Yakky to regurgitate a music box from within him. Yakko, who parked the car, gasped when he saw it flying through the air and ran as fast as he could, aiming to catch it. It landed right in his mouth instead and went down his throat, causing him to choke. Meanwhile, Yakky silently screamed in defeat.

Yakko coughed a little more, trying to catch his breath.

"Man, I think it went down the wrong pipe."

He gasped as Wakko and Dot snapped their heads towards him, realizing he just spoke.

"My voice...I can talk again!"

"There's our Yakko!" said Dot.

She stood and watched as Yakko rolled on the floor whooping and laughing.

"I haven't seen him this happy in a while," said Wakko, pinning Yakky to the ground as Dot approached Yakko.

"Okay, okay, calm down!" Dot chuckled, helping Yakko get back up on his feet. "How are ya feeling?"

"_Way_ better."

"But what are we gonna do about Yakky?" Wakko asked.

"I got just the thing."

Yakko pulled out a pen from his pants. Yakky squirmed in fear as Yakko sucked the rejected toon inside the pen.

"Sorry, but there can be only one me."

He then took out an inkwell and emptied the pen, dropping its contents into the well.

"Back to ink purgatory you go."

* * *

"Well, folks, it's a miracle! Yakko's voice finally returned!"

The same newswoman from a couple days before was sitting in the newsroom and interviewing Yakko, who had his arms behind his head and rested his feet on the table while Wakko and Dot sat next to him. They had scheduled an interview as soon as they spread the joyful news.

"These will be your first words on live TV since you retrieved your voice. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Yakko smugly turned to look at his audience.

"Look who's talkin'."

Everyone in the room laughed.

"Classic Yakko!" said the newswoman, slapping her knee.

Yakko winked as the band played him off.


End file.
